A new adaptation of the 1913 London-set thriller The Lodger will begin performances at the Workshop Theatre in Manhattan Jan. 8, 2009.

Antony Marsellis will direct Maire Martello's 90-minute stage adaptation of the Marie Belloc Lowndes novel about the unsolved Jack the Ripper murders that plagued London at the turn of the century. The Lodger will continue through Feb. 1, 2009.

In The Lodger, press notes state, "we meet the Buntings who have a lodgings house and are in need of tenants. Ellen Bunting is visited by a mysterious gentleman, Mr. Sleuth. He seems to have plenty of money, some strange requests and odd nocturnal habits that his money make more palatable. He also has a mania for privacy and a black bag that he takes with him everywhere. Is he the answer to Ellen's prayers or is she harboring a psychotic killer in her home?"

Creative duties will be announced shortly.

Tickets, priced $18, are available by phoning (212) 352-3101. The Workshop Theatre is located at 312 West 36th Street in Manhattan.